History & Social Action Activities
Activities 2023
Due to compromised immune system I have not been able to do face-to-face talks, attend meetings or run
bookstalls since September.
21 October. Zoom recorded talk on Friendly Societies at One Name Guild seminar in Wakefield.
October. Update on developments on black history and slavery and abolition in the North East for North East Labour History Society.
October. Submission of PDF paper on Anglo-Canandian Black History for the Canadian Black History Conference at Dalhousie University.
2 September. Bookstall at Lambeth History Fair.
8 July. Bookstall at St Philip's Church Norbury Summer Fair.
24 June. NHS75. Short talk at WindrushNHS75 event in Norbury.
5 June. Surrey Friendly Societies. Talk for Dorking Local History Group.
13-18 May. Norbury Literary Festival. I was one of the organisers and gave talks on:
· The Potential of Libraries - Sidney Jast, the inspirational Anglo-Polish Croydon Chief Librarian and the opening of Norbury Library.
· Setting Poems to Music – Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
3 May. Led walk around Durham Cathedral for academics and clergy as apart of my continuing work with the University which is developing detailed work on slavery, abolition and the black presence. The Cathedral is keen to do its own reinterpretation and archive/library work.
23 March. Samuel-Coleridge Taylor talk at Inspiration Station organised lunch club in Norbury.
15 March. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor talk at lunch club organised by Jamaican Association (UK) in Norbury.
7 March. Avril Coleridge-Taylor talk. Cassandra Centre lunch club in Norbury as part of International Women’s Day event.
3 February. Became Secretary of Croydon Unite Retired Members Branch.
Stalls, Talks & Walks 2022:
Between 24 August and 24 October 2022 I was in hospital and therefore all my activities
were suspended. After I came home I have been blogging, reading and writing
but not running bookstalls at events and rarely going to events. Recovery has been very
slow and erratic.
Bookselling continues: orders can be sent to me by email: sean.creighton1947@btinternet.com
7 & 8 February. Durham, Slavery and Abolition work with Durham University: 2 walks around Cathedral, 2 archives & object sessions and one talk
10 February. John Archer. Talk to Lower and Upper Sixth forms at Emmanuel School, Battersea
10 March. Women and Plaques. Talk at Cassandra Centre International Women's Day event, Norbury
28 March. The work of Nubian Jak Community Trust and plaques in Wandsworth. Short contribution to debate at London South Bank University International Women's Day event on Zoom about the paucity of plaques to women
7 April. Ram Gopal, OBE, Indian Dance and Norbury. Talk at Cassandra Centre Lunch Club, Norbury
4 June. Love Norbury Summer Fair. Bookstall
6 June. Edwardian Roller Skating Boom in Wandsworth. Talk at Balham Library. Part of Wandsworth Heritage Festival
Stalls, Talks & Walks 2021:
3 December. Broadcast interview about North East slavery and abolition for Newcastle Old Voices communi radio
27 November. Love Norbury Xmas Fayre - bookstall
18 November. Talk on John Archer to six form at Emmanuel School, Battersea - re-scheduled to 10 February
2 November. Bookstall at launch of The Liberation Movement
30 October. Black Wandsworth Community event. Battersea on Zoom - book stall
26 October: Member Black History Month on-line discussion panel and talk for Durham University
24 October. John Archer and his Legacy. One of several speakers for online Workers Liberty session. 6.30pm
23 October. Bookstall at play about 18thC servants of African Heritage in Sutton.
7 October: John Archer. Talk at Assembly at Thames Christian College, Battersea
16 September: Talk on memorials in St Mary's Church for Battersea Society. See text at:
http://historyandsocialaction.blogspot.com/2021/09/people-associated-with-memorialised-at.html
13 September: History of Music in Lambeth. An Introduction. Zoom talk for Lambeth Heritage Festival. See text at:
http://historyandsocialaction.blogspot.com/2021/09/lambeth-music-history-introduction-part.html
5 September: Friends of Norbury Park stall at Jamaican Schools Family Fun Day
4 September: Lambeth History Fair. Book stall at St. Mark's Church, Kennington
21 August: Annual John Burns walk for Battersea Trades Union Council
April.: African Lives in Wandsworth. Talk for Wandsworth Society
Publications 2021
Croydon Borough of Culture 2023 Discussion Paper
Croydon Trade Unions, the Environment and Climate Change. Information Paper.
Greening Croydon. Post-Covid Economic Recovery and Climate Change. Discussion and Information Paper
Croydon's Black and Anti-Racism History 1948-1979. An Introduction
Planned Publications
Croydon's South Asian History
Tooting: An introduction
Wandsworth's Black History
Merton's Black History
Wandsworth Chartism
The Orange Trade in the Long-18thC
Lovelace Overton, Bajan soldier
British-Canadian Black History Links
East Riding to East Ender: A life of George Tuthill - Regalia Manufacturer, by Roger Logan
Other Activities in 2021
Claudia Jones's Vauxhall Years and the Genesis of the West Indian Gazette - April
John Buckmaster, campaigner for Wandsworth Common - transcription of Roger Logan notes for a biography and additional material, for deposit at Wandsworth Heritage Service and to share with other historians of Buckmaster.
African Lives in Northern England project team member working on a pamphlet and school resources as a follow-up to the 2021 calendar.
Talks, Walks, etc in 2020
February
Slavery, Violence & Memorialisation. Led two walks, ran two archive sessions and gave a talk for students on a Durham University module course
Bookstall at Ruskin House film The Occupation of the American Mind
March
Croydon's Suffrage Movement & its Continuing Relevance.
Talk at Croydon Central Labour Party's International Women's Day event 8 March
March to August: COVID lockdown
August
Annual John Burns Walk. Because of my personal medical lockdown I could not lead the annual Battersea & Wandsworth TUC John Burns Walk. It had a theme of the link with John Archer, the Black Mayor 1913-4. I provided full briefing notes for a B&WTUC member to lead the walk in my absence because of medical lockdown.
Truth & Memory. History and Struggle Against State Organised Racism in Britain - member of North East Zoom discussion panel providing historical background.
The text of what I said and the link to the You Tube video of the discussion are at:
http://historyandsocialaction.blogspot.com/2020/08/truth-memory-from-newcastles-slavery.html
Slavery and Abolition in Croydon. Zoom talk for Surrey History Meetup
October
Croydon's Black History. Zoom talk for Croydon United Retired Members branch
Celebrating John Archer (1863 – 1932) - Video Talk for Wandsworth Black History Month
www.youtube.com/watch?v=adr1aq_7I-Q&feature=youtu.behrough
Sutton's Black History
Advice to project to December
Durham - Slavery & Abolition. Zoom talk for Durham University
November
African Lives in Northern England. Publication of 2021 calendar by an informal group I am a member of.
John Archer article
https://vauxhallhistory.org/when-john-archer-took-aim-at-injustice/j-archer
History Blog Postings
I post details of history events, publications, issues etc on my main blog site:
https://seancreighton1947.wordpress.com
History Discussion Postings
http://historyandsocialaction.blogspot.com
Croydon Blog Postings
I report Croydon news, issues and events at
https://seancreighton1947.wordpress.com
Norbury Watch Blog Postings:
I report news, issues and events in Norbury at
https://norburywatchblog.wordpress.com
Discussion Blog Postings
I post discussion pieces on
http://historyandsocialaction.blogspot.com
These range from British Black History, Black Lives Matters, Croydon
governance, economy and greening affairs, Government Planning,
Political Education to book reviews,
https://seancreighton1947.wordpress.com/2020/05/01/are-you-running-out-of-books-to-read/
The Importance of the Peterloo Massacre of 1819
A personal discussion triggered by Mike Leigh's film and a Long 18thC Seminar
Sean Creighton. £2
Lambeth Radicalism before Chartism
Sean Creighton. £4 + postage
Suffrage Campaigns & Campaigners in Croydon
Sean Creighton with Iona Devito and Louise Szpera. £3.50
The Wind From Peterloo
John Charlton, published with North East Labour History Society. £3
https://seancreighton1947.wordpress.com/2018/10/31/remembering-peterloo
Caroline Ganley
Terence Chapman £8
Battersea Women’s Activism 1890s-1914
Sean Creighton. £2
Postage is additional
https://seancreighton1947.wordpress.com/2018/10/31/remembering-caroline-ganley
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Network
https://sites.google.com/site/samuelcoleridgetaylornetwork
Other HS&AP publications:
See link on left
In addition to glossy covered booklets as below I publish short runs of pamphlets mainly written by me produced
Labour Politics in Croydon 1880-1914
Michael Tichelar
Croydon Radical History Monograph No. 1
£2 plus £1 postage
Radical Croydon 1860s-1939
An introduction to the history of Croydon's labour, radical and socialist movements
Croydon Radical History Monograph No. 2
£2 plus postage
The Falcon Road Area - An Introductory History
(Falcon Rd is in Battersea)
Produced for the area Festival 2016
50p + 70p postage
Railwaymen and Brunswick House
A preliminary introduction based on a talk at LASSCO, September 2013
£1 plus 70p postage
ORGANISING TOGETHER IN LAMBETH
A Historical Review of Co-operative and Mutual Social Action
£2 + £1 postage (reprint)
To order please email: sean.creighton1947@btinternet.com
I hope you find something of interest on the site.
I am available as a speaker or to lead history walks
Sean Creighton
sean.creighton1947@btinternet.com
Updated 4 April 2022
To place your order click on Add Cart button or email sean.creighton1947@btinternet.com
PUBLICATIONS
Price £4 + £1 postage
£2. plus 60p postage
Esther Bruce. A Black London Seamstress. Her Story 1912–1994.
Stephen Bourne. £4 + £1 post.
Order above by clicking Add Cart button above or email sean.creighton1947@btinternet.com
If multiple orders mean an overpayment of postage then there will be a refund.
H&SAP Diary and News
Up until early June 2014 I produced a regular diary of events and news that relate to my interests which is emailed to individuals and networks around the country. Sample copies are on request. In addition to a Diary of events of interest in London and elsewhere in the country, the main contents are on issues in Croydon, and general social action and history news and relevant news of Lambeth and Wandsworth. This diary has been replaced by the History & Social Action News and Events website:
http://seancreighton1947.wordpress.com
My Blog
Up until early June 2014 this blog site contained comment on social action, political and historical political issues and news and events. Since then the site only has posts of my comments on issues, and detailed historical notes. http://historyandsocialaction.blogspot.co.uk. The other site http://seancreighton1947.wordpress.com contains news and events.
Croydon Citizen Postings
I used to comment on cultural, heritage and political issues in Croydon Citizen which seized publication in 2018. My contributions can still be seen at
To find my articles click on the most recent posting, and put 'Creighton' into the search box.
Croydon Radical History Network
I co-ordinate the Network. See left hand menu.
Second-hand books , pamphlets and journals for sale
See books for sale in left hand column
HSAP Pamphlets
See details by clicking on titles on left hand column.
Croydon TUC and Assembly
I convened the TUC's working party on Croydon Council's Growth Plan in 2014. I was on the planning group of Croydon Assembly which the TUC initiated, and convened its economic development and housing working group. I was a member of its Environment working group. I came off the planning group in 2018.
Croydon Radical History Network
I co-ordinate the Network and edit newsletters and pamphlets published under my imprint.
Norbury Organisations
I represent Norbury Village Residents Association on the Love Norbury Planning Committee, and chair Love Norbury's Transport Committee. I am Chair of Norbury Community Land Trust. I run the Norbury Watch blog side with details of events, new and issues:
https://norburywatchblog.wordpress.com
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Network
I co-ordinate the Samuel Coleridge Taylor Network. Full details including the newsletters can be seen on
https://sites.google.com/site/samuelcoleridgetaylornetwork.
North East Slavery & Abolition Group
I am the Group's Co-ordinator. It was set up to continue the work of the Tyne & Wear 2007 Tyne & Wear Remembering Slavery Project for which I was Archive Mapping & Research Officer. The Group's newsletters can be seen on:
www.twmuseums.org.uk/archives/publications
North East Popular Politics Project
I was the Project's Archive Mapping & Research Co-ordinator (paid project worker to end March 2013 with HLF funding) and unpaid from March 2013 until 2014 when a new non-funded North East Peoples History Project started. Details about NEPPP can be seen on: www.nelh.org. Its Project database is at ppp.nelh.net
Heritage Wandsworth Partnership
It organises the Wandsworth Heritage Festival. I was a member of it and its representative on the Wandsworth Green Plaques Panel until October 2014, when I came off as part of re-organising my involvements, but continue to work on Wandsworth history issues and given the occasional talk and lead the occasional walk.